Ubisoft has largely focused on solo protagonists for Assassin’s Creed games, but has released a few titles featuring dual protagonists in some capacity. Its most recent release, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, stars Naoe and Yasuke as the two protagonists players can switch between. The decision led to divisive opinions from players and fans of the series, and now, Ubisoft has confirmed future Assassin’s Creed games could have dual protagonists if they have a good reason to do so.
Mixed Reactions to Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Dual Protagonists Will Not Stop Ubisoft
The first time Ubisoft experimented with a dual protagonist approach in the series was with Assassin’s Creed Syndicate (2015). It has twin assassin’s Jacob and Evie Frye, but they are identical for the most part, except for a few skills and cosmetics. It is Assassin’s Creed: Shadows where the studio offered a choice between two completely different characters. They not only differ in appearance/gender, but also in terms of skills and capabilities. Selecting one over another changes the gameplay approach completely. Naoe’s character focuses on stealth, and Yasuke is all about brute force.
In a conversation with GamesRadar, associate director Simon Lemay-Comtois said they knew Shadows’ dual protagonists would lead to divisive opinions from players and fans. He said mixed reactions will not stop them from following the approach in future Assassin’s Creed games. If the studio finds a good reason to have dual protagonists because of the setting or narratively, they will not hesitate.
Simon Lemay-Comtois said,
“Dual protagonists can be divisive along very strange lines, right? It’s not just a ‘well, I prefer a war, therefore I prefer Yasuke.’ Some people just don’t like one character over the other, and they don’t like to spend time with one. It was true with Evie and Jacob, but with Naoe and Yasuke it’s more divisive. And we knew this. We knew going into it, but I think it can split our fan base a little too. I think the learning for us is that, yes, we could do more dual-protagonist games in the future – if we have a good reason to do it narratively and for the setting.”
In other Assassin’s Creed: Shadows-related news, Ubisoft has given up on releasing a second DLC. The team is still working on post-launch content for the game, but it will not be a fully-fledged DLC. This means Claws of Awaji will continue to be the only DLC released for the game, unless plans change in the future.
